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Nope. Not Bonaire but it is sunny, warm and has salt water. All in all, not a bad gig!

We do first class now. I'm 6'3" and the legroom is worth it for me. Well, the free booze is kinda nice too.....

Sounds like you're not a helicopter fan. I'm with you. I'm a fixed wing pilot and won't get into a copter. Engine quits in fixed wing, you're flying a glider. Engine quits in a copter, you're plummetting!

Looking at your pictures, the Peacock Grouper is magnificent.

I enjoyed your blog. I've thought about doing one but have been too lazy to figure out wordpress. I did write one for the gunstore at which I worked between my police careers. A rather irreverant blog actually. I think they took it all down when I left their employ!

Yeah, it was no fun on the helicopter. I work with an ex-Navy seal, and he's with you, he hated using helicopters when he had to, and will never go in one again! The Peacock Groupers were beautiful and plentiful in Hawaii, but hard to take pictures of. That was the only quality shot I had of any of the large number of them we saw. Wordpress is amazingly easy to use.

Thanks so much for posting about your Hawaii trip. We've only been there once and were not as successful as you with our snorkeling, so you have inspired me to consider returning. I very much appreciated the level of detail in your posting. Do you think that October is a particularly good time of year for snorkeling on the Big Island and/or Maui? It's also been a few years since we've been back to Bonaire. Reading about the island I've been concerned that it might not feel as peaceful and secure as on our previous visits. I'd be interested in your perspective. Thanks again for sharing. I vicariously enjoyed your trip very much!

We found Hawaii to be awesome, but we missed the relative calm of Bonaire. Lots more people, even in October, which is considered the off season there. The only issue we had in Hawaii was the poorer visibility due to the sand being kicked up. That may have partially been due to the howling trade winds which normally are 15-25 MPH in October, but were routinely topped 45 MPH while we were there. In terms of snorkeling we found the turtles in Hawaii were awesome, but the fish were less than on Bonaire, and harder to photograph due to the lower visibility. If you do go to the Big Island, do not miss going to the Mauna Kea resort (even if you don't stay there) for the nighttime manta ray snorkel. It's magical, and far less crowded than the airport sites where a multitude of boats go. We have already booked our October trip to Bonaire in 2018.

I visited Maui in 1983 - I was 21. It was the first time I ever scuba dived. Diving with the "Hawaiian sling": basically two aluminum J hooks and a tank and regulator. That was it, plus a J valve, no BC or depth gauge. No one drowned or died. I was not particularly impressed. No reefs, just dead lava formations.

Lahaina was attractive, but ocean was no different. I had no desire to go back. I continued diving in the Florida keys after that trip and discovered Bonaire in 1987. No other island really compares. I have traveled extensively since. I have spent at least a week on Guadalupe, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Grand Cayman, Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, Saint John, Porto Rico, Saint Barts, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Nassau, Georgetown, Spanish Wells, Cozumel, Phuket, Boracay, and a few destinations I can not remember.

I went back to Hawaii in 2015 - this time I was particularly disgusted with the corporate amenities and fast food chains, lack of unique local eating experiences, and over crowding. Native Hawaiians have no particular like or respect for visitors.

I don't get that same brush-off feeling ever on Bonaire. If you plan your trip right, you can have a great time anywhere. I visit Bonaire year round and always have a great time. It is and shall likely remain my favorite most reliable destination.